Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
“How the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and this weakness stronger than men! In what way is it stronger? It made its way through the world and overcame all men; countless men sought to eradicate the very name of [Christ] crucified, but that name flourished and grew even mightier. Its enemies lost out and perished…”
John Chrysostom (347-407) in 1 Corinthians 4 as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 225.
The foolishness of God is not only wiser and stronger than any human thinking. Following them is the only way to flourish. Speaking of flourishing….
If you want a copy of my most recent book, Flourish, co-authored with my wife, Jenni Hoag, and my good friend, Linda Maris, click here. And if you know anyone who speaks Spanish or Ukrainian, stay tuned as it will be freely available in those languages shortly.
But, at this point you may be asking what this has to do with generosity. Honestly, everything!
The teachings of Jesus on money make no absolutely sense in this world. Just like the message of the crucifixion and resurrection, it requires a person to have faith to believe. You don’t figure them out until you live them out.
So, if you want to lose out and perish, follow the world’s way of thinking about life and money. But if you want to overcome the world and experience flourishing, live out the foolishness of God, starting today.
Father in heaven, we want to flourish as a testimony to the truth of the gospel. Help us obey even your most hard teachings in order to witness to your faithfulness. Make it so by your Spirit we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.